Lois Lerner, the director the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt organizations, said that organizations had been given additional scrutiny if their applications included the words "Tea Party" or "patriot." The practice originated with "low-level" employees in Cincinnati, according to an Associated Press report.

In a press conference on Friday, Lerner called the actions of these employees "absolutely inappropriate."

"They didn't do it because of any political bias," Lerner said, adding that singling out groups with specific names was an ill-thought-out organizational "shortcut."

"It was an error in judgment and it wasn't appropriate but that's what they did," she said.

"We've now corrected these issues, and we don't expect that any of these will be repeated going forward."

Despite the apology, conservative groups are now seizing on the news, which they say proves their long-standing complaints of mistreatment by the IRS.

"President Obama must also apologize for his administration ignoring repeated complaints by these broad grassroots organizations of harassment by the IRS in 2012, and make concrete and transparent steps today to ensure this never happens again," said Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots.

Tea Party Express founder Sal Russo told ABC News that his group, formed as a PAC, never heard from the IRS but did hear from smaller Tea-Party groups that complained of government scrutiny.

Show no mercy! Careers and reputations need to be ruined. Government employees that use our tax dollars to deny the 1A rights of law abiding citizens need to suffer personal consequences. And I mean suffer.

Illegal. Flat out illegal. Does anyone believe that if this had been done by a Republican administration that impeachment proceedings wouldn’t have already started? No Republican president could ever survive a scandal like this one.

88 page questionnaires that seek information on donors, facebook postings and tweets require multi-level discussions, review and approval. This is not a renegade event. A management structure went about this discriminatory process.

"They didn't do it because of any political bias," Lerner said, adding that singling out groups with specific names was an ill-thought-out organizational "shortcut."

I see. Can she show any cases of non-politically-motivated enhanced attention given solely to organizations of anti-rights collectivist leftist asshat drones? Or do the non-politically-motivated "mistakes" befall only those on the right?

24
posted on 05/10/2013 3:08:40 PM PDT
by Still Thinking
(Freedom is NOT a loophole!)

The IRS will probably dig up some low-level flunky and blame the whole thing on him, and then fire him. And once the furor dies down, they’ll go back to business as usual. Harassing and intimidating certain organizations and businesses because they don’t like their political views. Only they’ll be sneakier about it. Move along, nothing to see here.

25
posted on 05/10/2013 3:10:07 PM PDT
by jespasinthru
(Proud member of the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy.)

Using the powers of the office of President of the United States, Richard M. Nixon, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has repeatedly engaged in conduct violating the constitutional rights of citizens, impairing the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, or contravening the laws governing agencies of the executive branch and the purposed of these agencies.
This conduct has included one or more of the following:
He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavoured to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposed not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be intitiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.
He misused the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, and other executive personnel, in violation or disregard of the constitutional rights of citizens, by directing or authorizing such agencies or personnel to conduct or continue electronic surveillance or other investigations for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; he did direct, authorize, or permit the use of information obtained thereby for purposes unrelated to national security, the enforcement of laws, or any other lawful function of his office; and he did direct the concealment of certain records made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of electronic surveillance.

26
posted on 05/10/2013 3:11:03 PM PDT
by penelopesire
(TIME FOR OBAMA TO ANSWER FOR BENGHAZI UNDER OATH!!)

"President Obama must also apologize for his administration ignoring repeated complaints by these broad grassroots organizations of harassment by the IRS in 2012, and make concrete and transparent steps today to ensure this never happens again," said Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots.

I think this is especially important.

In theory, just about any offense should be subject to the acceptance of a sincere apology.

But it is hard to believe that the apology is truly sincere, if no concrete steps are taken to ensure that such a practice never happens again...

28
posted on 05/10/2013 3:12:51 PM PDT
by AmericanExceptionalist
(Democrats believe in discussing the full spectrum of ideas, all the way from far left to center-left)

I get that warm fuzzy feeling about the new 16,000 IRS agents hired to enforce ObamaCare and Conservatives. I can imagine the Emmanual Brothers saying, “Die! Die! Die, you damn TEA Partiers/Conservatives/Patriots!”

30
posted on 05/10/2013 3:14:52 PM PDT
by Chgogal
(Obama murdered the SEALs.They "were hung out to dry, basically exposed like a set of dog balls,...")

There is a very simple, effective, and long lasting way to prevent this from happening again no matter which party is temporarily in the White House.

One fine Monday morning the entire staff of the Cincinnati IRS office forms up outside “their” building. In the back ranks are the “low level” functionaries, GS and contractor, and as you work your way to the front you find more important functionaries. At the very front you find Lois Lerner, the director the IRS unit that oversees tax-exempt organizations.

They are informed by federal marshals that they have all lost their security clearances and have 2 hours to clean out their desks off any and all personal items. They can come back Friday to ick up their final pay checks.

They are also informed that if anyone wants to stay employed in any capacity by the federal government they have until close of business Wednesday to provide documented proof as to who violated their job description and who approved it. Those who don’t step forward will never work for the federal government again.

This gross violation of public trust occurred, like most of these violations, because the people involved figured they would never get caught much less punished.

Take that feeling of godhood away just one time and most of the federal bureaucracy will rapidly clean up their individual and collective acts.

After all, a generic apology goes a long way in restoring reputations, public trust, and private bank accounts; don’t it.

That one comment is one of a liar lying. Someone chose the “code words” it wasn't just a few GS-7s and GS-9s taking a shortcut, it was a policy! And someone implemented that policy. I bet the shredders are working overtime tonight. Those responsible are like cockroaches fleeing from the light at this point.

50
posted on 05/10/2013 3:47:12 PM PDT
by pepperdog
( I still get a thrill up my leg when spell check doesn't recognize the name/word Obama!)

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